I love Hanne Gaby for many reasons: longevity in the business, consistency with her weight, her quirky personality and style. That being said, would it kill her to do a few crunches every now and then?

"Intersex individuals are born with sex characteristics such as genitals or chromosomes that do not fit the typical definitions of male or female. Up to 1.7% of the population is born with intersex traits, according to the United Nations — a figure roughly equivalent to the number of redheads."

I had no idea that it was that common. Wow, that's so much to deal with so young.
"Kids think 'something was done to me; you felt I wasn’t perfect; I had to be fixed.'"
Thanks for posting.

"Intersex individuals are born with sex characteristics such as genitals or chromosomes that do not fit the typical definitions of male or female. Up to 1.7% of the population is born with intersex traits, according to the United Nations — a figure roughly equivalent to the number of redheads."

I had no idea that it was that common. Wow, that's so much to deal with so young.
"Kids think 'something was done to me; you felt I wasn’t perfect; I had to be fixed.'"
Thanks for posting.

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I love that she's speaking out about this and while I definitely understand what she felt, I am pretty sure parents make the decision to operate their children because it can cause cancer? But feel free to correct me if I am wrong

I love that she's speaking out about this and while I definitely understand what she felt, I am pretty sure parents make the decision to operate their children because it can cause cancer? But feel free to correct me if I am wrong

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I thought this too but I think the point is that there isn't any strong enough evidence to say conclusively that it causes cancer, possibly due to the stigma around it. Obviously if a doctor tells you that your child could get cancer unless they have X surgery you would probably want them to have the surgery, but the article is questioning whether it is actually dangerous or just misunderstood.

I thought this too but I think the point is that there isn't any strong enough evidence to say conclusively that it causes cancer, possibly due to the stigma around it. Obviously if a doctor tells you that your child could get cancer unless they have X surgery you would probably want them to have the surgery, but the article is questioning whether it is actually dangerous or just misunderstood.

Odiele was born with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, or AIS, with XY chromosomes typically found in men. She was 10 years old when she underwent surgery in Belgium to remove undescended testes, she said.

At the time, awareness about intersex people was scant. Doctors told her parents she might get cancer if she didn’t undergo such surgery, so they agreed — but doctors never disclosed to Odiele why.

When she was 18 years old, she had vaginal reconstructive surgery; to this day, she describes it as deeply traumatizing. It was around that time that Odiele typed in some of her “symptoms” online and found a Dutch teenage magazine profiling girls who had been born intersex.

“That’s how I found out,” Odiele said. “I told it to my doctor: ‘Is this me?’ He said, ‘Oh yeah, you finally found out.’ Then I met some people in the Dutch AIS community. … They were a huge inspiration at that point.”

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To think that after enduring that horror, she went on to work so hard and create an incredible career for herself...she is an inspiration.

On a lighter note, I think we have the story of her unicorn's guest appearances from earlier in this tread. I don't know the full story, but I seem to understand that unicorns are important symbol for certain communities...